2. Achieving. There are many pet battling achievements in game, and following the natural trail through the Taming [Continent] achievements up to Pandaria, and then on to the Spirit Tamers, Beasts of Fable and the Celestial Tournament was an epic journey for me and for many others. It's well worth doing. The Celestial Tournament is still, IMO, the pinnacle of PvE pet battling. However, WoD and Legion and BfA have added more battling achievements.
Bioelectric Blast (Deadly) - Blasts the target area with electricity. Inflicts 65,654 Nature damage to enemies within 8 yards of the impact and creates a patch of Electrified Ground. Electrified Ground inflicts 14,882 Nature damage every 2 sec to players within it. Shock Burst (Important) - Inflicts 4,377 Nature damage every 2 sec for 12 sec. Upon expiration, strikes all players, inflicting up to 26,261 Nature damage. This damage is reduced the further away players are from the blast. Electric Discharge (Healer Alert) - Wekemara discharges electricity from itself. Inflicts 13,131 Nature damage that chains to additional targets every 1.5 sec. Submerge - Upon reaching 50% health, Wekamara will submerge and summon Spawns of Wekamara. Electrified Splash - While submerged, Wekemara rains electrified water from its pool. Inflicts 21,885 Nature damage to enemies within 3 yards of the impact area. Spawn of Wekemara (Damage Dealer / Tank Alert) Charged Bite - Inflicts Nature damage to an enemy Conductive Spittle - Inflicts Nature damage to an enemy and increases Nature damage taken by 50% for 16 sec. Loot Tables
Only really to expand on Gráinne's comment as regards the 'collecting' and 'roster development' sections - which are, as said 'distinct' although they are intrinsically linked - I would like to point you in the direction of the in-game Achievements > Battle Pets > Collect tab. There are a series of achievements called Raiding With Leashes, pretty much all of which can be completed via the auction house - if you have the gold/inclination - or by completing old raids. World of Warcraft Classic lets you play the game as it existed almost 15 years ago, upon the release of the 1.12 "Drums of War" update. Blizzard says it considers that era to be the correct balance of the game resembling its original launch state while also having ironed out some of the rough spots of launch. This version is also including some updates under the hood, like modern server infrastructure and Battle.net social features.
One of my favorite features is the Smart Injection System, which automatically determines the optimal place for your character to get started with the guides, based on your level and quest history. In other words, it doesn’t matter what level you are currently, you can jump right in and continue seamlessly with the guides. It also means that you don’t have to be a slave to the guides, they work perfectly even if you’re also leveling in instances, battlegrounds, using heirlooms or rested EXP. If your level ever gets ahead of the guide, just use the built-in feature to skip to the right place again. Very cool. In player vs. player designated zones, you will still be viewable and attackable by players, but you are not left completely defenseless. While engaged in a Pet Battle, any attack from another player will break you out of the battle. You will receive a 3 second damage shield that will absorb 50% of incoming attacks. The same exact wild pet that you were previously battling will respawn after you come out of combat with the other player. However, if you defeated the primary pet in battle prior to leaving the match, the pet and its team will not respawn.
If a companion dies during the battle, it will need to be resurrected before it can participate in another encounter or be summoned as a traveling companion. Get that pet a medic! Or in this case, a Stable Master. Stable Master NPCs can heal and revive your pets for a small fee, and there is no cooldown on the Stable Master's heal. You’ll find Stable Masters in major towns and cities across Azeroth.
With the Classic beta now out it seems every related article somehow manages to spark the eternal war of "Vanilla was the best WoW sucks now" and "lol nostalgia goggles, Vanilla sucked, enjoy your two weeks of Classic". I have to say, even though I understand the principles behind the battle and the reasons people behave and talk this way... I actually REALLY don't get it on a deeper level.

It was the experience of the game that brought pleasure and joy, and that's what a lot of us want again. Not the numbers. When I play Classic I want to go through the deadmines with people I like and overcome a challenge together and see myself become stronger as a result. I don't want to play Classic so I can say "booyah! That number is exactly the same as it was 13 years ago!"